Bob Lutz has never been one to back down from a fight. The former Marine has served at a number of car companies over the decades including General Motors, BMW, Ford, and Chrysler. Most recently, Lutz served at GM's Vice Chairman for Special Advisor Design and Global Product Development.

When it comes to hardcore "car guys" in the auto industry, there aren't many as rabid as Lutz. In recent years, Lutz is responsible for spearheading the development of enthusiast-oriented vehicles like the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac G8, fourth generation Pontiac GTO, Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, and the upcoming Cadillac Converj (now called the ELR).

One of Lutz's most famous "babies", however, has been the Chevrolet Volt. He has been an ardent supporter of the plug-in hybrid, so it should come as no surprise that Lutz is coming to the Volt's defense after a barrage of negative press has rained down on it.

[Source: Patrick Arena/VW Vortex]

Lutz, writing in a column for Forbes, went straight after those that have been most critical of the Volt. He rattled off six “truths” about the vehicle including the fact that the Volt was conceived before GM's federal bailout and that no Volt has caught fire on public roads during an accident. Lutz also asserted that 278,000 gasoline-engined vehicles caught fire between 2003 and 2007, but no one seemed to launch an attack campaign against those vehicles.

But Lutz saved his harshest criticism for the "right-wing media" which has gone after the Volt with many a hollow-point bullet:

But the Oscar for totally irresponsible journalism has to go to The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, with, as its key guest, Lou Dobbs. Amid much jocular yukking, the Volt was depicted as a typical federal failure. In attempting to explain why Chevy has sold fewer than 8,000 Volts, Dobbs states, flatly, “It doesn’t work.” He elaborates, “It doesn’t go fast and go far on electricity. What happens is it catches fire."

Lutz then went on to try to clear up any confusion about who enabled the $7,500 tax credit that has been another sore point for people upset over the very existence of the Volt:

To top it off, these two media pros lamented the fact that the same government that had forced GM to produce the Volt was now extending $7,500 tax credits towards its purchase, thus squandering even more of “our taxpayer” dollars on this failed Socialist-collectivist flop. Truth? The $7,500 tax credit was enacted under the Bush administration!

Lutz’s column comes just days after GM CEO Dan Akerson testified before Congress to defend the Volt's safety record. "The Volt is safe. It's a marvelous machine. It represents so much of what is right at GM and, frankly, American ingenuity and manufacturing," said Akerson in his testimony last week. "The Volt seems, perhaps unfairly, to have become a surrogate for some to offer broader commentary on General Motors' business prospects and administration policy."

My question to anyone that votes Republican is why? This question really bothers Democrats as we cannot understand why anyone would do so. I know I am may be asking for much, but could you please give an answer without mentioning the other side?

For instance, I vote Democrat because they tend to look after the poor, middle class, and the lower upper class by trying to provide us with health care and attempt to rebalance the tax burden so those that work for their money pay a lower percentage than those that do not. They also tend to believe in global warming, not going alone during a war if possible, and compassion.

The above is just a few examples of why I would vote for them. The above examples also, for the most part, affect me directly and not in a vague way (the wars part would be the exception probably).

Whenever I have asked the question in the past, I could not get a Republican to tell me the reasons why they would vote for their party in terms of what their party is doing instead of what they don't like about the other party. I really think it is disgusting when a Republican says "Obamacare" or "out of control spending." Can you guys just give some good examples of what your party is doing to help YOU out?

Folks, this is not football. We cannot have blind favoratism for our "teams" just because we grew up with them or whatnot. We need to have reasons when we vote. And those reasons cannot be for revenge or just because we don't want the other party in power.

YOU REALLY think there are those that have a REASON to be on one side or the other?That is exactly my point as to hy do we need to point and make jokes at the "other side of the aisle".It's so booring and I hate to watch it.

I for one do not vote anymore, because of1 - politicans lie2 - they take bribs - call it waht you want it's a bribe!3 - all they do in office is "vote along party lines", Try and keep their job, not vote as the ones that voted them in want - WHY? because they vote along part lines or as the money given to them tells them to vote4 - I hate the Dems vs Reps system that we have and will not "label" myself as either, and don't all me indepenta either!5- our govt could get so much more done if ther wasn't this infighting against the "other side".

To bad you feel the need to be linked to one of these crazy groups.

Do you also sho up at rallys and wave flgs with poeples names on them?These flag wavers are all fools that think the person can do something about anything!Their politicans they can't think for themselves, let alone run this country.

It's far better to vote than not to. Don't get me wrong, I think that plenty of Democrats are horrible legislators/leaders.

One thing you won't see is Democrats trying to spit on Republican Congress members and use racial slurs like they did during one of the health care protests that was held a few days prior to the final vote. That is a start.

No I don't go to rallies.

I do find it beyond hilarious that not one Republican can tell me why they vote Republican without being negative. So there are no reasons to vote Republican but only reasons to vote against Democrats?

quote: Can you guys just give some good examples of what your party is doing to help YOU out?

Sigh..typical Democrat. That's why we're in this mess. You vote for the party that promises YOU the most stuff, at the expense of someone else. But it's okay because that other guy is (insert rich, evil, different) so he deserves it for keeping you down.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”

So you have no reason to vote for Republicans? So you vote for the party that will do the least for you and hurt you the most?

I see the Democrats keeping government out of my business way more than Republicans. Republicans try to limit health care, how I use my health care, they refuse to give equal rights to homosexuals, and the whole time they spit on the Bible (through their actions) while claiming they follow it more than others.

Dude, just give me a reason on how the Republicans will help YOU out. It's really not that hard. Don't "Republican" the answer and talk about something else.

quote: So you vote for the party that will do the least for you and hurt you the most?

Why would you contort what he quoted from Alexis de Tocqueville? Where is the disconnect?

You would have to assume the gov't is here to help you. Because the gov't cares about you and only you. That gov't creates and gives you a job, but only asks for its "fair share" of taxes in return. That the gov't is protecting you from the meanies -- you know, those who decided they wanted to make a profit even though BHO told them it wasn't time yet. If that's how you see, then you see incorrectly.

And all the comments after my post answering why vote republican is what our problem is.ONE side poking at the other.Can't even anser the question with out slipping down to the 5 year old level and telling us how bad the other side is!!!

It's very 5 year old stuff, and yet the educated of our country just keep doing it!

WHY PICK A SIDE???? That is the real question.

Both of them are lying money taking scum, only out to keep their office so that they can live the good life and get the "free" benefits that they voted for themsleves!

The fact that there can't be an election without the two sides telling us how the other can't do any right.

I WOULD vote for the person that didn't have a commercial on evey other other one, TV or radio, that didn't tell me how bad his opponent is, that WAN'T REP or DEM, and just "hoped" to get elected by what he stands for and how, without lying, he'll help the people - but that is a just a dream that will never happen

quote: And all the comments after my post answering why vote republican is what our problem is. ONE side poking at the other.

What ARE you getting on about? Is there a reason your Engrish [yes, deliberately mis-spelled] is so abominable?

And yet you babble about 5 year olds and the uneducated? Their English is better than yours. So you complain?

Beyond that, you start by saying how bad those meanies are, the Republicans, but then conclude that the problem is "ONE side poking at the other." What the sam-hell do you think you're doing? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Do you seriously expect to carry on an intelligible conversation? Or do you simply want to regurgitate the Kool-Aid you've obviously been hooked up to (via IV drip, no less).

Bugs Bunny is more believable than you. No? [Btw, when the time comes ... take "the red pill". No need to thank me.]

This isn't a formal stage.I don't have time to go back and reread for comprehension typically. I do it on the fly... Sometimes my Engrish does come out quite poorly, because I am distracted because of work. Regardless, the message while muddled is quite understandable, so why don't you stop wasting time and actually respond to the parts you do understand.

He odviously sees both sides are scum... so he isn't poking at one side or another. He seems to equally dispise both sides.

quote: Folks, this is not football. We cannot have blind favoratism for our "teams" just because we grew up with them or whatnot.

That is very funny comment coming in the same post as:

quote: My question to anyone that votes Republican is why? This question really bothers Democrats as we cannot understand why anyone would do so. I know I am may be asking for much, but could you please give an answer without mentioning the other side?

and following this:

quote: A Republican will take an idea and look at it from a grade school point of view and ask why this and that but never care to get an answer or clarify their opinion with real facts.

I'll take a stab here

quote: Can you guys just give some good examples of what your party is doing to help YOU out?

Many people don't really think its the purpose of government to explicitly help themselves as much as possible. Or even the role of Government to step in whenever it might be helpful.

Some people think government should only be involved whenever it must be involved... when all other reasonable avenues are unfeasible.

For example, you talk about the Democratic party wanting to provide "healthcare" to people. The majority of proposals seem to center around removing middle earners choice about purchasing healthcare and stealing from high earners to pay for additional healthcare for individuals.

Left out of this discussion is that the federal government spent more than 25% of its budget in 2010 on healthcare! Yes that's right, the Federal Government alone spent more than 1 billion dollars on healthcare related items (Medicare, Medicade, VA, Health and Human Services, Medical Research Grants, etc, etc, etc). This of course ignores the additional money forgone in taxes for private spending on healthcare and charity healthcare. Yet we should spend -more- on healthcare?

Personally, I'm going to vote for the Candidate that reflects my personal values the most. The US Government's current tax system takes in approx 3 billion each year. (Up to 4 billion could be collected, but tax breaks mostly to middle and lower income individuals in the form of mortgage interests, personal deductions, etc amount to hundreds of millions each year. Maybe people ought to remember this when they talk about "helping" the middle class) Current spending levels of ~4 billion clearly can not be maintained. I would never take a LOAN to provide for my neighbor. (Consider this, if you make 75,000 dollars a year, spend 100,000 dollars a year, and have debt of 300,000 dollars... would you take additional loans?)

The first candidate that promises to RAISE taxes and LOWER spending will get my full support. In the mean time, if it was me in the position of the Federal Government, I would LOWER spending first. Given that all candidates are going to RAISE spending, I will have to vote for the candidates I feel will RAISE spending the least.

I'm still waiting for one freaking reason to vote Republican. Is it so hard? And your assessment is way off. Republicans are for way more intrusion than Democrats. This is another talking point from Fox News.

Jesus Christ you really are that stupid aren't you? The guy answered your question politely, comprehensively, and eloquently. And when it gets to you, it's like it hit a brick wall of stupid.

Please go back to 4Chan or wherever you got here from. You just do not have the intelligence or maturity to be talking about this topic. You seriously cannot grasp that voting isn't about what politicians can "do" for us!?"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"

If you need a reason to vote for someone you're too stupid to do any research on their beliefs and history.

You're just looking for the next handout. Admit it and move on. If I told you Mitt Romney would give you a personal check for $2,000 because you're a nice guy and you had reason to believe it you'd vote for him. If I told you he had moral values or that he will be able to turn the economy around by doing x, y, or z...you'd ignore it and say "you didn't give me a reason to vote republican". Enjoy the hope and change...it sure did well for everyone before. *roll eyes*

I guess you are the epitome of stupid since that is your candidate and you have no reason that you can give (without looking stupid) for voting for them.

Wow, I just found the paradox that kills Republican robots. I will make sure to use this in the future. So people that vote for Republicans are actually not voting for a candidate but maybe against the other one just for spite or some uneducated reason? I'm guessing because I can't tell at the moment.

Sigmatau, if you can't see that voting for a candidate that most closely repersents your personal value system as a reason to vote "Republician", I don't think your in the position to be insulting others mental capacities.

While I vote neither Republician or Democratic per se, I can at least admit that some people in this world will find the social "conservatism" esponsed by many members of the Republician party as aligning closely with thier personal values. (This is an example of why someone would vote for the "Republician" stereotype you hold)

Your consistent denial of this self-evident truth of the world, well frankly, makes you seem little more than a selfish thief who wonders why people would see some of "preferences" of the Democratic party as negative.

So no reason huh? Republicans are not conservatives. I'm not sure who came up with that idea.

I'm still waiting for you to explain to me how exactly Republicans "represents your personal value system". That was my original question. So you are for taking other people's rights away that you don't agree with, increasing taxes for the working class but lowering taxes for the upper class, and trying their hardest to pollute the world is your reason?

quote: So no reason huh? Republicans are not conservatives. I'm not sure who came up with that idea.

They're a lot more Conservative than Democrats. I can actually name Conservative Republicans. Can you give me even ONE example of a Democrat who isn't a Liberal? Okay maybe Evan Bayh, but that's pretty much it.

There was once a term used for a sensible blue-blooded Democrat; "Reagan Democrat". Sadly, those don't exist anymore. The radical far-left movement has taken over the Democrat party. And that's not just me saying it, everyone is.

Anyway you sound like a 12 year old who asks questions about things he can't possibly understand the answers to. People have told you 10 times why they vote Republican, and you keep saying "but why tell me tell me bro" like an idiot.

quote: So you are for taking other people's rights away that you don't agree with, increasing taxes for the working class but lowering taxes for the upper class

That's an absolute absurd attack. You aren't even TRYING now. Even Liberals are probably reading your posts with some embarrassment.

Oh, and let me tell you how insane your reason is to vote for Republicans. You and another more flamboyant poster stated basically for "smaller government."

The Republicans are part of the government. So that is a nice paradox you wove yourself into. Also, the Republicans love big government when it comes to what they want. They want a bigger military, larger boarder patrol (even though Obama has increased it dramatically), and as much welfare for corporations. If that is not big government, then I don't know what is.

The Democrats have been passing consumer protection laws that prevent corporations from unfairly feeding of the poor and/or uneducated. If that is too intrusive for you then I can't help you.